Vehicle
crime reduction initiatives
One
of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agencys (DVLA) key aims is to reduce vehicle
related crime. The Agency achieves this by a number of measures they have put
in place. Emphasising
the importance of the registration certificateThe law requires
someone selling a vehicle to pass the relevant part of the registration document
to the purchaser and notify DVLA of the change. DVLA and the police strongly recommend
that prospective purchasers have sight of the registration document V5 or registration
certificate V5/C and physically check details contained on it against the vehicle
prior to purchase. In order to tax a used vehicle with form V10 (or V85 for heavy
goods vehicles) it is necessary to produce the appropriate section of the registration
document or certificate. Thus making it essential that the appropriate part of
the registration certificate is passed on to the buyer when a vehicle is sold. Vehicle
identity checks (VIC)The VIC scheme,
operated by the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency (VOSA) is a means of deterring
criminals from disguising stolen cars with the identity of those written off or
scrapped. DVLA is notified of all cars that are declared as written off or scrapped
due to substantial accident damage by the insurance industry. Following notification
of the successful completion of the VIC test a new registration certificate will
be issued and annotated to show that the vehicle has been seriously accident damaged
or repaired.
| Certificates
of destructionThe
End of Life vehicles directive allows a certificate of destruction (COD) to be
issued for a vehicle taken to an authorised treatment facility (ATF) for destruction.
The COD will be issued to the last owner or holder of the vehicle and will end
the keepers financial responsibility by updating the record held at DVLA. To process
end of life vehicles, the ATF must be licensed by the Environment Agency or Scottish
Environment Protection Agency. Registration
of number plate suppliersThe Vehicles
(Crime) Act 2001 requires all number plate suppliers in England and Wales to register
with DVLA. The registration of number plate suppliers (RNPS) scheme ensures that
number plates are only sold by registered suppliers and to a purchaser who can
show entitlement to a particular registration mark and can provide verification
of personal details. Number plate suppliers are required to keep records of sales
and make them available for inspection by the police or local authorities. Continuous
registrationIn
January 2004 a new system of continuous registration was introduced. Under this
system, the registered keeper of a vehicle remains financially responsible for
the vehicle, until DVLA is formally notified of its transfer or disposal. This
makes it possible to carry out enforcement from the record, instead of relying
on a sighting on the public road and encourages individuals to notify DVLA of
any changes in keeper details. Name
and address checksTo
improve accuracy DVLA has introduced new measures to check name and address details
to be entered onto the vehicle record. From 1 January 2004 documentary evidence
is required to verify name and address with forms V55/4 and V55/5 used mainly
to register imported vehicles, re-builds and kit built vehicles. Since
October 2004 more thorough measures are being taken to establish the true address
when registration documents are returned undelivered. |
